I could hear murmurs coming from behind the closed door. The low one was Jackson’s, punctuated every now and then by a higher tone, which was obviously Lexi. I wondered if the two of them had formed a friendship or more during the time he’d been driving her to and from the jobsite. I wondered if Nick knew. I wondered if he cared. The thought depressed me, and I tried to wash it away with a gulp of wine.
I glanced at the clock. If Jackson didn’t work his magic quickly, we were going to be late. Yes, even I, the chronically late one, knew that when you hosted the party, it was best not to be the last to arrive. I began to pace.
The murmurs stopped. I wondered if that was a good sign or a bad one. I drank some more. I could feel the wine buzzing through my veins. I pushed the glass away. I was about to go knock on the door when it opened and Jackson stepped out.
He met my gaze from across the room, and a faint pink blush appeared just over his neatly trimmed beard. He cleared his throat and said, “She’ll be right out.”
I nodded. Then I grinned. “You have some lipstick in your beard.”
He looked horrified and swiped at his face. I laughed and held out a paper napkin to him.
“So,” I said. “Driver or boyfriend?”
His blush deepened. “Boyfriend.”
I laughed, delighted. “Good for you. She’s a keeper.”
He grinned in return as he dabbed at the section of beard I indicated. “I think so, too.”
“Do you think she’s going to be okay to do this tonight?” I asked.
He cast a dark look toward the big house. “I hope so.”
That was not as reassuring as I’d hoped, but I appreciated the honesty.
When Lexi reappeared, she looked calmer and her lipstick was fully applied. She glanced at us and said, “All right, let’s do this.”
It took us only fifteen minutes to arrive at the country club. Situated downtown on Seventh Street and Thomas Road, the club had been founded in 1900 by twelve of Arizona’s most prominent citizens. It had a very mid-century modern vibe with stylized permanent overhangs and exposed stonework.
Jackson handed his car keys to the parking valet, and Lexi and I stepped out of the vehicle as soon as our doors were opened for us. A glance at Lexi’s face, and I noticed she was looking pale and, frankly, petrified. I looped my arm through hers and said, “Come on, let’s find Sophie. She’ll know exactly what’s what.”
Jackson stepped up to Lexi’s other side, and I saw her visibly relax. I wondered if Nick had any idea that his friend and his sister were clearly a thing. Probably not. As far as I knew, he hadn’t seen Lexi since the night I’d called her to check on him. I felt like this was a fail on my part. Had I not been so consumed with him, with us, maybe he would have gotten closer to his sister on his own.
I shook my head. No, probably not. The demons Nick was fighting were keeping him from letting anyone get too close, and that included me, Jackson, and Lexi. Someday I would probably look back at our relationship and feel sorry for him, but at the moment, I was just too damn angry.
There was a huge sign, which I’d had made, and it featured Luz’s mid-century modern bright yellow sun rising behind two stylized purple mountains with an aqua and orange sky. The sign welcomed us and indicated the room where the New Dawn gala was being held. I took a second, just a second, to appreciate our work. It was a nod to the Arizona state flag, but also celebrated Phoenix’s heyday, the fifties. I was proud of it and knew it was going to become a premier piece in the studio’s portfolio.
“There you are!” Sophie came darting out of the room at the end of the hall. She was wearing a silver sheath dress with cap sleeves and matching silver platform sandals. On anyone else the dress would have overwhelmed, but Soph had such a vibrant personality, she and the dress were a perfect fit.
She stopped in front of us and pressed her hands to her cheeks. “You two are beautiful.” She looked at Lexi. “No one is going to hear a word of your speech; they’re just going to bask in your beauty.”
Lexi blushed bright red and glanced at Jackson. He winked at her and said, “It’s true.”
“Come on.” Soph grabbed Lexi and me by the hands and pulled us toward the room. “I have a million people for you to meet. You should see the architectural rendering in the middle of the room. It’s lit perfectly and people are agog! Lexi, you are going to come out of this as one of the most innovative architects in the country. My god, it’s thrilling.”
I glanced at Lexi. She was looking a sickly shade of green. I leaned close to Soph and said, “Dial it back a little. We’ve been battling a case of nerves for the past hour.”
Soph glanced at Lexi, noted her pallor, and immediately threw an arm around her. “Don’t you fret. You’ve got this. Just speak from your heart.”
Lexi swallowed. I thought she might lose the vomit battle, and I wondered if there was a place I could stash all the items in my clutch in case we needed it as an emergency barf bag. I needn’t have worried. Soph hit the room, dragging us in her wake, like a cyclone of meet and greet.
Drinks were pressed into our hands, small talk was made, as we worked the room from one end to the other. My crew, Nyah, Trent, Booker, and the others, were there, and it was a relief to see their friendly faces. The crowd became a blur, I had no idea if I was just repeating myself, and from the looks of it, neither did Lexi.
When we’d been going hard for an hour, she leaned close and whispered, “Make it stop.”
I glanced around the room, looking for Jackson, who had been discreetly shadowing us the entire time. I waved him in and said, “I think Lexi could use some air.”
He nodded and took her elbow, leading her through the open doors and out onto the patio that overlooked the golf course. I envied her even as I turned back to the banker who was regaling me with his triumphs on the course that day. Not knowing a thing, and caring even less, about golf, I smiled and nodded until I was sure I resembled a well-heeled bobblehead doll. The man did not seem to care.
When Soph appeared at my elbow, I could have kissed her in gratitude. The perturbed V in between her eyebrows checked that impulse.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“It’s time for Lexi’s speech,” she said. “But I can’t find her.”
I turned back to my golfing banker, who was still talking, and excused myself. He gave a quick nod and turned to the person on his left and continued his monologue. Okay, then.
“She was stepping outside for some air,” I said. “I’ll go grab her.”
“Meet me at the stage,” Soph said.
I nodded and hurried outside. I searched the patio and almost retreated until I heard a suspicious moan coming from behind a potted orange tree.